Choosing workplace plants that improve staff wellbeing

Nicky Roeber is the Online Horticultural Expert at Wyevale Garden Centres. Here he explains how plants can help to keep staff happy and healthy. Plus, he shares which varieties are most suitable for the workplace.

As someone working in HR, you’ll constantly be looking for ways to ensure the staff at your company are happy and healthy. So, you might be interested to know that peppering their workspace with plants could improve both their wellbeing and efficiency, according to the Financial Times.

Greenery can help to improve indoor environments by reducing background noise, air temperatures and the levels of airborne dusts. Plants can even increase relative humidity and go some way to improving the air quality.

It has also been proven that workplace plants can have fantastic health benefits and even increase productivity among staff. In fact, scientists have found that introducing greenery to hospital rooms can accelerate surgical patients’ recovery, and many children’s concentration levels improve when there’s a plant in their classroom.

Additionally, it is thought that plants reduce the levels of pollutant gases in the air such as nitrogen dioxide, benzene and formaldehyde. This means they can make it a lot healthier for us to breathe. So, if you would like to improve the wellbeing and productivity of the staff you work with, you can do so by introducing plants to their workspaces. Read on to find out which varieties will work best.

Spider plants

According to a study carried out by the University of Hawaii, spider plants are one of the best varieties for improving indoor air quality and reducing stress at work. They also do a great job of removing dust from the air, which will do wonders for staff who suffer from common allergies.

Additionally, spider plants are low maintenance and can still thrive with minimal sunlight, which makes them a great choice for cubicles or offices with few windows.

Golden pothos

A NASA studyhas identified golden pothos as incredibly effective air-cleaning plants. Their uniquely heart-shaped leaves were able to remove up to 73% of pollutant gases from sealed chambers when studied. Plus, they’re famously low-maintenance and do well in low levels of light, which makes them a great practical choice, too.

Philodendrons

Philodendrons are able to adapt to their environment, which means they make great office plants. They do well indoors all year round, and flourish when exposed to indirect sunlight. They also don’t need to be watered too often, so are relatively low maintenance.

These plants are known for removing xylene — a toxin that’s found in the likes of glue and leather — from the air around them.

Snake plants

Snake plants are resilient and, as a result, will survive even if you forget to water them a few times. So, if you’re looking for plants that will survive without much tending to, these are perfect. Additionally, much like the golden pothos above, NASA has found that snake plants do a great job of removing toxins such as formaldehyde and benzene from the air.

So, there you have it: four fantastic varieties of plants that will thrive in your office and benefit the staff, as well as the business you work for. Place some of these around your workspace and everyone will be happier, healthier and more productive in no time.